Effect of sodium bicarbonate on solubility, conformation and emulsion properties of pale, soft and exudative meat myofibrillar proteins

To investigate the effects of sodium bicarbonate on aggregation and emulsion properties of pale, soft and exudative (PSE) meat myofibrillar proteins, the changes in pH, turbidity, particle size, free sulfhydryl, surface hydrophobicity, emulsifying ability, and emulsion stability were studied. The pH, solubility, proportion of free sulfhydryl groups, surface hydrophobicity, emulsifying ability, and emulsion stability significantly increased (P < 0.05) with an increase in sodium bicarbonate concentration from 0 g/kg to 6 g/kg. In contrast, zeta potential, turbidity, and particle size significantly decreased (P < 0.05). In summary, the addition of sodium bicarbonate increased the pH of PSE meat myofibrillar proteins and enhanced the electrostatic repulsion between the proteins, causing the absolute value of zeta potential to increase, leading to greater exposure of sulfhydryl and hydrophobic groups and formation of smaller aggregations, enhancing its solubility, emulsifying ability and emulsion stability. Thus, sodium bicarbonate could improve the processing performance of PSE meat.